1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to friction drive type power transmitting arrangements wherein two substantially inelastic members are in frictional engagement over a longitudinally extending contact zone with the members moving at different relative speeds at the ends of the contact zones. More particularly the invention is concerned with solving the problem of slippage which occurs in such transmitting arrangements.
2. Prior Art
Power transmitting arrangements are well known wherein power is transmitted through frictional engagement. In one such typical arrangement power is transmitted to a conically shaped member by nutating it in frictional engagement with the inner diameter of a ring. The apex end of the cone is moved in a circle through use of a crank driven by an input shaft with the apex end of the cone being freely rotatable in the crank. The base end of the cone then connects to a universal joint coaxial with the input shaft and thereby transmits power to an output shaft. Generally the aforementioned ring can be moved towards and away from the input and output shafts to thereby vary the speed and power transmission characteristics of the transmission. In such transmissions a problem arises in that the conical surface which is contacting the inner surface of the ring must have different speeds relative to the ring as a function of the axial positions on the ring which it contacts. Thus, in the simplest case it can be seen that the relative velocity between the conical surface and the ring where the conical surface contacts a first end of the ring must be different than the relative velocity between the ring and the conical surface where it contacts the second end of the ring. It is also clear that this will lead to serious slippage problems which generally promote wear. It is clear that contact stresses are necessary to carry torque from the ring to the cone and that the higher the contact stresses and the higher the rotating speed, the greater is the amount of heat and, hence, wear, generated within the contact zone due to the skidding phenomenon. It would be highly desirable to reduce such wear and greatly reduce or even eliminate slipping or skidding between the two contacting members, in the example discussed above the ring and the cone, and thereby decrease the heat generated within the contact zone and the amount of wear of the components.